Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein and Triona Farrell will feature a fictional app called Reaper that allows anyone to crowd fund assassination attempts. The protagonist, Charlie Ellison, will face down waves of hit men with his less than perfect bodyguard. This series will be out this summer.

Annie Wu introduced her new book Dead Guy Fan Club. This story will follow fans of a fallen rock star into adulthood as they investigate the death of their idol. This sounds interesting and would make for a god show in the same vein as TBS’s Search Party. You can grab your copy this fall.

Sam Humphries (Nightwing & Green Lantern) and Jen Bartel have teamed up to create Blackbird, a fantasy story that Image depicts as HarryPotter meets Riverdale. This series will be released from Image Comics in October 2018.

Image will be releasing J. H. Williams and Haden Blackman’s Echolandslater this year. It tells the story of a young thief who must escape a vengeful wizard in order to save a world that has forgotten its own history.

The Last Siege is a medieval war story told in the style of a spaghetti western. Landry Q. Walker and Justin Greenwood bring this series to life this summer. Greenwood said, “I’d been looking for a book to really cut loose on and this project came along at the perfect time. I haven’t drawn this much dirt and blood in a long time and loving every minute of it.”

Image Comics has a plethora of new and old titles coming out this year. Look out for a sequel to this list. Catch you next time.

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/03/06/image-comics-has-new-comics-for-2018/feed/076496A Great Reason To Be Happy! SyFy Renews Happy! For A Second Seasonhttp://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/03/a-great-reason-to-be-happy-syfy-renews-happy-for-a-second-season/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/03/a-great-reason-to-be-happy-syfy-renews-happy-for-a-second-season/#respondSat, 03 Feb 2018 20:34:15 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=75843Happy!, SyFy’s bizarre, over-the-top, crazy, and violent yet strangely endearing and heartwarming series has been renewed for a second season.

The show, starring Christopher Meloni as Nick Sax and Patton Oswalt as the voice of Happy, is based on the graphic novel by writer Grant Morrison and artist Darick Robertson. It’s the story of Sax, a disgraced cop/former hitman who finds out the daughter he never knew he had has been kidnapped by a fiendish Santa Claus and an equally fiendish children’s TV host. He receives this news from a little blue flying unicorn, who introduces himself as Happy, his daughter Hailey’s imaginary friend.

The uproarious quest to save Hailey introduces us to a mob run by the sinister Mr. Blue (Ritchie Coster), his reality TV star daughter, the aforementioned fiends, a bug orgy partying crew, murderous imaginary friends, an ex-wife, an ex-mistress, a Chinese hit squad, a walking dead guy and a whole passel of strong-willed children led by Nick’s daughter Hailey. It’s an audacious show, perhaps the most edgy series SyFy has produced since last summer’s Blood Drive. It is the network’s biggest launch since January 2016 across all key demographics.

I, for one, loved the series’ oddness and gleefully twisted madcap plot. Christopher Meloni is exceptional as Nick; his expressive eyebrows and clenched mouth are deserving of an award all on their own.

I love the show’s strong women – right or wrong, good or bad, they are savvy, self-controlled, quick-witted and determined. Lili Mirjnick is wonderful as Lt. Meredith McCarthy, Nick’s mistress and ex-partner who has to navigate her mob connection and IA in order to help save Hailey. There’s resourceful and determined Amanda (Medina Senghore), Hailey’s mom, capable of moving heaven and earth for her daughter; Isabella (Debi Mazar), the reality star/mob princess who’s also going to move heaven (literally) and earth for her own offspring; the scary and mostly crazy strega, Assunta (Antonia Rey), who likes to mix a little menstrual blood in her gravy; Meredith’s mom, Jessica (Laura Poe), who takes drastic measures to escape being a pawn in Mr. Blue’s schemes, and of course young Hailey (Bryce Lorenzo), the brave and smart little girl who becomes the rock the other kidnapped children rely on and who is able to outwit sadistic Santa, Mr. Blue and hitman Smoothie (Patrick Fischler) .

And, of course, there’s Happy himself, the lovable, adorable imaginary friend who goes from childhood innocent to badass tickle-torture artist during the course of his adventures with Nick. He is the light, the one bright spot in Nick’s bleak and twisted world. Indeed, the cinematography is mostly dark and gritty, reflecting the bars, alleyways, secret tunnels, abandoned warehouses and rooftops that are Nick’s natural habitat. Happy, with his bright blue color and shiny horn, is the one thing that stands out and brightens his world.

The series finale was Wednesday, February 1st, and wrapped up the major plot points while leaving the audience on pins and needle regarding Mr. Blue, the password, Sonny Shine and more.

Chris McCumber, President of entertainment networks at NBC Universal Cable Entertainment said in a statement, “Happy! struck a chord with our SyFy audience and disrupted the TV landscape with its unique storytelling and outrageous performances led by Christopher Meloni. If people thought this season was crazy – I can’t wait for fans to see what Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor and the entire cast and crew have in store for Sax and Happy!”

Are you a fan of Happy!? Are you “Happy” with this announcement? Share your favorite moments of Season 1, and what you’re looking forward to in Season 2 in the comments below!

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/03/a-great-reason-to-be-happy-syfy-renews-happy-for-a-second-season/feed/075843Advance Review: Image Comic’s “Twisted Romance” Issue 3http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/01/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-3/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/01/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-3/#respondThu, 01 Feb 2018 20:38:00 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=75803Image Comics has been on a roll recently. The third issue of their Twisted Romance series is just as impressive as the previous two issues. The featured love stories in this issue are a bit more whimsical and somber than the last six stories.

First up is Invincible Heart by Alex De Campi and Carla Speed McNeil. De Campi does it again, bringing us a love story between a space captain and the rebel leader of the ground forces. McNeil’s artwork is refreshing for a black and white piece. It makes you focus more on what’s happening in each scene of this homoerotic thrill.

At first glance, this seems like a knockoff of any number of SyFy original movies, but De Campi sweeps us into a meeting of the minds with Justin and Black. This is a classic government versus the people argument. Justin has his orders, though the enigmatic Black is all he can think about. So what do you do when you start to fall in love with someone you’ve been charged with executing? You guys will have to pick up your copy to find out.

The prose story in this volume is The Last Minute by Jess Bradley. This story boasts all of the feels of a doomed love with all of the suspense of an alien invasion. Bradley presents Naomi Hansen and Daniel Cline in the first few paragraphs climbing an impenetrable tower. We later find out that these two have been preparing for months in order to stop alien creatures from continuing to ravage the planet.

Naomi’s determination to make a last stand has led Daniel to open his heart, even with their possible demise looming in the distance. Bradley delivers a romantic tale that’s sure to hit you right when you least expect it.

Olivia Lies, Pierced by Margaret Trauth is the second comic and last story in this volume. Trauth presents the Staisbridge Academy of Diplomacy, where all manner of anthropomorphized animals take lessons for combat and noble peacekeeping. Think Zootopia in space. Trauth shows Olivia Featherstone, a feline troublemaker and her friend Baron K, a mouse and heir to a space dynasty. These two get up to much mischief while discovering what they really mean to each other.

These stories are more lighthearted than we’ve seen in the previous issues; even the impending doom in The Last Minute. Image Comics has one more issue left in this series. I wonder what stories we’ll see in the finale.

You can purchase the digital edition from Amazon or subscribe to the print editions at Image Comics.

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/01/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-3/feed/075803Advance Review: Image Comic’s “Twisted Romance” Issue 2http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/01/30/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-2/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/01/30/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-2/#respondTue, 30 Jan 2018 23:11:49 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=75731Have you missed me guys? Aww, that’s so sweet (please, God, let it be sweet). But we have business to attend to. I’m talking about Image Comic’s second issue of Twisted Romance. Just like the first issue, there are two comic stories and one narrative fiction piece.

The first comic is Twinkle & The Star, by Alex De Campi and Alejandra Gutiérrez. It features a burgeoning romance between an asexual celebrity and an overly conscious, full-figured woman. This is the type of love story you haven’t seen outside of fan fiction, but it’s certainly one that should be told. Representation is important, especially in mainstream media.

Gutiérrez’s art and De Campi’s dialogue-style make for a cute introduction to characters that aren’t always at the forefront of what audiences consume. This story should definitely continue.

Vita Ayala concentrates her efforts on love in the fiction piece, Back at Your Door. It features college student, Luz Lopez, and her intense crushes on fellow students Adrienne and Maddison. Luz has mixed feelings about her platonic relationships, but realizes some friendships should not cross that forbidden line. Or…maybe everything is in her head and she can have all she is looking for in a partner (or partners). No spoilers from me, you guys are going to have to read this one on your own.

The last comic is by Meredith McClaren entitled, Would You Even Know It? A nameless woman and her AI laptop have a discussion about the nature of love and whether it’s possible for the two of them to actually be “in love” with each other. I like that McClaren keeps both characters nameless. It makes you guess who is the true human. Or if it’s even humane to treat an artificial intelligence like a person.

We see a woman and a laptop, but neither of them operates under normal conditions for a laptop or a woman. Then again that view may come from my own bias, which I now realize may be McClaren’s point. The lines of attachment and romantic love are blurred as the woman and her laptop define her biological nature and the mechanics of the laptop. Each one coexists and co-depends on the other, but can there ever really be more?

What do you guys think?

You can purchase the digital edition from Amazon or subscribe to the print editions at Image Comics.

Hey guys! Welcome back to my comic review shop, where I take on all manner of image-induced shenanigans. This week I’ll be looking at the four-issue release of Twisted Romance by Image Comics. Each issue features three stories for a total twelve, count ‘em, twelve tales of romance from the everyday to the supernatural.

The mix of comic and narrative is enough to satiate comic lovers and literary chasers. I loved reading each story, and I wish each one would continue. I’m definitely going to follow these creators from now on.

The first issue featured a comic called OldFlames by Katie Skelly and Alex De Campi. It is a story of deception and intrigue in the guise of 70s-style pop art. Skelly’s artwork evoked the time period exceptionally well. I say this with confidence, even though I was born in 1988.

De Campi weaves the tale of Misha, a vampire on the straight and narrow, whose business is heartbreak. He takes a job that leads him to a violent, former love, something he doesn’t need as it’s hard enough to be a vampire who doesn’t indulge in violence. The emotional turmoil he feels is evident throughout his sexual exploits. But come on, it’s the 70s. Who isn’t sexually free?

I would love to see Misha’s backstory and how he became the semi-strait-laced vampire who breaks people up for a living. This would make for great Netflix show. What do you guys think?

Twisted Romance #1

The second story is a narrative tale of vampires, wendigos and the humans who hunt them. Magen Cubed delivers a fantastic and gripping story of one-sided homoerotic love in Leather & Lace.

Brooding and depressed vampire, Dorian, fights other supernatural creatures at night with his partner, and secret crush, Cash Leroy. Magen gives these two heartthrobs the royal “will they, won’t they?” treatment. She then adds in a mix of danger on the supernatural hunting fields to bring forth a sweet love story.

Red Medusa on the Road to Hell

The final story in this anthology comes from Sarah Horrocks. In Red Medusa on the Road to Hell, two lovers are reunited in Hell of all places. This story produced my favorite line, “The dreams of the body obscure the memories of the spirit, but I remember your skin.”

The tragic lovers are hauntingly inspiring. Sarah’s art conjures a visceral reaction. Images of blood and Hell evoke, what I imagine to be, the nightmares of victims of demonic possession. The story and images are insanely difficult to look at, yet they’re so compelling in their truthful depiction of the love these two people share in an abyss of torture.

There is a depth in the darkness that oozes complex creativity on the part of Sarah Horrocks.

Image Comics has made me a fan today. But let’s hear from you guys. Whose got the most twisted romance story?

You can purchase the digital edition from Amazon or subscribe to the print editions at Image Comics.

The story centers on Yoon Bum, a young South Korean man with an unhealthy obsession for the popular Sangwoo. Bum takes his obsessive compulsion to the next level by breaking into Sangwoo’s house. What he finds is disturbing and earth shattering. When they said “never meet your idols,” they weren’t kidding. Sangwoo takes this opportunity to take Bum captive and teach him a lesson about disrupting a crime already in progress. The relationship that develops between the two is sparked by trauma and tragedy. This develops through violence, sex, and mental instability.

As a reader, I want desperately for Yoon Bum to make an escape, but his borderline personality disorder disrupts his vision of Sangwoo. It doesn’t help that Sangwoo alternates his behavior from violent to affectionate, or the fact that while they both served in the military, Sangwoo saved Bum from being raped. Koogi paints the harsh realities of military life that get swept under the rug in the name of national pride and national defense. It is important to see all sides in this story.

Bum sees a shining light in Sangwoo, though the latter is dealing with his own issues of past abuse and the uncanny resemblance Sangwoo says Bum has of his mother. This reveal is obviously the only thing that is keeping Bum alive. Sangwoo looks at Bum and sees his mother. He even makes Bum dress in a skirt and forces him to do chores around the house, thereby forcing Bum into a role of affection.

Bum acquiesces out of fear and love. Sangwoo has beaten him and followed up those actions with a kiss (many kisses), not to mention other activities as well (Like I said, this is a mature Boys Love comic). Sangwoo gives Bum what he wants, but keeps him locked against his will and punishes him when he steps out of line.

This comic is not for the faint of heart, nor the very squeamish. The frames drawn by Koogi are disturbingly realistic with anguish, pain and depression reading on both of our protagonist’s faces. It almost feels like love and sincerity are actually blooming between the two, but with their many problems it is hard to discern if tragedies will continue.

I enjoyed this story and recommend it to those of you who can handle it. Accounts can be set up for free at www.Lezhin.com. The subscription based website has many comics for all types of readers. I’ll be diving into some action comics next.

Recently a friend of mine recommended a book called Luke Skywalker Can’t Read: and Other Geeky Truths by Ryan Britt. The book is a collection of entertaining and erudite essays about geeky subjects and nerd culture. The title essay takes a look at literacy (or lack thereof) in a galaxy far, far away, “Wearing Dracula’s Pants” purposes that Bela Lugosi’s Dracula is really the best; “Regeneration No. 9” is a personal glimpse into how Doctor Who brought him back from a major bout of depression. All 14 essays are fun and engaging, and speak volumes about the geek life experience.

Ryan Britt is an essayist, novelist, and critic, primarily in the science fiction/fantasy/nerd arena (truthfully the best place to be). His first book, the aforementioned Luke Skywalker Can’t Read: and Other Geeky Truths, was published by Penguin Random House in 2015. Currently, he is the entertainment editor at Inverse where he writes about science fiction, pop culture and more. Ryan’s other work has been published by VICE, the New York Times, CNN Style, Den of Geek!, Tor.com, and elsewhere. He is currently writing his second book, a novel called Starship Dalloway. Ryan is represented by the Fischer-Harbage Agency. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.

After geeking out over the book, and Ryan himself, he graciously granted me the following most excellent interview:

You posit in Luke Skywalker Can’t Read that in the fictional future – or past – reading for the sake of reading seems not to have a very optimistic fate. Do you still feel this way? Are there elements in our current sociopolitical climate that may indicate the future of pleasure reading is bleak?

I still feel pretty pessimistic about the future of reading, at least in the short term. As someone who writes for the internet for a living, I see the attention spans of most people shriveling. Books require patience and space to breathe. I think the vast majority of internet discourse is ephemeral. The whole point of Luke Skywalker Can’t Read was to demonstrate that metaphorically, the entire culture of the Star Wars galaxy can’t seem to remember anything. People like Luke have their entire biographies turned into “myths” in less than three decades. That’s got to be a result of media in one way or another. I also can’t tell you the number of times people have attacked my essays (in the book and elsewhere) and then admitted that they really didn’t read them, but were mostly responding to the titles or headlines. I’m exploring some of this in a new book I’m working on at the moment.

But on the bright side, I’m a father now, and I’ll tell you, even though my daughter is only 5 months old, she flips out for her books. My wife and I have kept screens away from her for now. There’s magic in books, and even a child who can’t read feels that magic. So, I’m hopeful for the next generation. Hopefully, when my daughter is an adult, she’ll live in a world where it’s hip to unplug a little more. Maybe that’s when books come back. And, I will say, the ebook didn’t take over the way people thought. So, at least in a small margin, physical books aren’t dead. Amazon even had to open up brick-and-mortar stores!

Then let’s talk about The Magicians on SyFy. We see powerful young people with books all of the time, and like Lev Grossman’s novel, the fictional world of Fillory and the Fillory books are a prominent element. How do you view this as moving to a better possible future for readers?

Yes. Lev and his books are a huge inspiration to me. I wouldn’t have thought about reading and books in fantasy and sci-fi narratives if Lev didn’t’ exist. He has been a kind of Obi-Wan Kenobi to me. (Am I Anakin? Maybe?) In short, I think more fantasy and sci-fi books like Lev’s are coming and I admire the hell out of him.
How is a twisted up anti-Narnia relevant to current affairs?
I’m not sure a twisted-Narnia isn’t always relevant to current affairs. You’d have to talk to the showrunners of The Magicians; John McNamara and Sarah Gamble. I interviewed them about the season 2 finale, and they made a lot of parallels between their show and the state of the world. Personally, I think good fantasy/sci-fi social commentary is a bit timeless. So, I guess I’m less concerned about what The Magicians is saying about Trump, and more concerned with what it says about deeper, more timeless stuff. I mean, Lewis suggested it first: “deeper magic from before the dawn of time.” I think cool sci-fi and fantasy like The Magicians is always finding that deeper magic.

How has the Star Wars franchise changed in the last two years? Do you still think the fans have the influence on the story that you mention in your book?

Wow! Yeah, Star Wars has changed a lot since I wrote that stuff. I mean, yes, I still think the fans are in charge. Rian Johnson is clearly a Star Wars fan, as is Gareth Edwards. But, to be honest, maybe that’s not a good thing? I thought Rogue One had a lovely cast and some great performances, but it felt like it was really pandering to a certain kind of Star Wars fan. I really disliked that last scene where Darth Vader murdered all those people. It felt needless. This is the kind of thing certain kinds of fans love, and they got it. I found that trite. Is Star Wars just a thing where we check the boxes of Darth Vader doing “cool” things? I’ll put it another way: Nicholas Meyer wasn’t a fan of Star Trek when he directed The Wrath of Khan in 1982. Like, not at all. And that film saved the franchise and redefined it. Meyer was a guy who loved Sherlock Holmes and H.G. Wells and C.S Forester books. I think Star Wars needs someone like that at this point. Most of the people making these movies are big Star Wars fans and that’s kind of it. I think Miranda July or Lena Dunham should direct a Star Wars movie. (I say that and can already hear fans screaming!) Or maybe after A Wrinkle in Time, Ava DuVernay can do Star Wars. Just someone who feels really different from the kinds of directors we’ve had so far. But, that’s a short, weird answer. There’s a lot to unpack there. Plus, I haven’t seen The Last Jedi yet. Who knows, maybe it’s the best, most subversive Star Wars yet.

Predictions for The Last Jedi (but no spoilers)! You’ve already mentioned in one of your essays that you think Poe might die, but what do you think is up with Rei and Kylo Ren (whom I hope is less emo this outing)? Why do you think, or do you think, that we need to see the original heroes from 40 years ago die (putting my money on it now that Han is dead and that Carrie Fisher has passed)?

I’ll be honest: I just don’t know! My only major prediction for The Last Jedi is that Luke Skywalker will reveal something about the history of the Jedi that really changes the way we look at them. You know, more of that “deeper magic” stuff I mentioned before. I mean, I hope that Luke reading the first books we’ve ever seen in Star Wars is a game-changer. But, that’s connected to my personal interests in this stuff.

Going back to the idea of fan input changing and challenging the great canonical idea of various movies and TV shows, do you think with the new King of Social Media, Twitter, that fan meddling is just going to increase? How are writers’ rooms changing because of this?

I don’t think writers’ rooms will change much. I do think the way shows and films are distributed will change. I think studios are more concerned about spoilers than ever before. I bet the binge model will go away in like two years. Stranger Things is like ruined the day it comes out. That can’t keep happening.

Star Trek Discovery vs. The Orville. You are obviously in the first camp while I am definitely in The Orville camp. Both have writers/producers from other Trek TV shows and movies. Why does one work for you, but not the other?

In being pro-Discovery, I am not anti-Orville. I just don’t write about The Orville all that much, because I couldn’t find much to say. Maybe it’s my failing as a critic or something, but I literally couldn’t figure out an angle that wasn’t made by countless other smart bloggers: that The Orville is a non-Star Trek show doing a “funny” version of Star Trek and doing it decently well. People have written this, and I didn’t want to do my version of it because I didn’t have strong feelings, nor anything original to say on the subject. I respect that people do have strong feelings, one way or another, but I guess I still see The Orville as a sitcom, albeit, an occasionally serious one. I like to say new things, and for me, I couldn’t say anything new about The Orville, so I opted to say very little.

I also don’t see it in competition with Star Trek: Discovery. I think that’s one of those narratives that people are talking about right now, but I’m not sure it makes sense to pit them against each other. I think it comes down to this: when there are two shows set in outer space, and there’s a bunch of press for both, people tend to talk about it a lot like there’s a war between the two. It happened in the ’90s when Babylon 5 was on at the same time as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. If the second season of The Expanse had come out at the same time as Discovery would we say those were in competition? I mean, the executive producer of The Expanse is Naren Shankar, who used to write for Star Trek in the ’90s. That’s similar to Brannon Braga working on The Orville. You see what I mean? Star Trek: Discovery probably has more in common with The Expanse than it does with The Orville. But, we wouldn’t say those are in competition with each other, would we? To use another ‘90s analogy, Discovery vs. Orville is not the Blur vs. Oasis battle of the bands. And that’s because, in my opinion, you can’t use the same critical lens to talk about The Orville because it doesn’t really present itself as a “real” sci-fi show. The world-building feels like it’s only there to create allegories. It feels like an intentional parody. That doesn’t mean it can’t be profound, it can. It’s just that it doesn’t seem like it’s even close to being the same thing as Discovery. If anything, Discovery is Oasis, and The Orville is Weird Al. And I say that as someone who is a fan of both Oasis and Weird Al.

How do you think streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and now CBS All Access are reshaping the future of television? Has The Handmaid’s Tale’s big win at this year’s Emmys potentially altered this future?

I really don’t know! All of that is in flux. I’d say it’s too early to tell. I will say that Hulu and CBS All Access releasing streaming episodes one at a time, versus the Netflix all-at-once model, seems more sustainable. But maybe that’s just my preference. I really don’t like getting an entire series at the same time. I loved A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I really wished I could have watched it over the course of a few months.

What is your must-see TV?

Ha! I don’t know. I guess Star Trek: Discovery right now. But, I mean, I love watching old stuff. I got a BritBox account and my wife and I love watching old Miss Marple murder-mysteries. I mean, that makes me sound old, but it’s the truth.

Thoughts on live tweeting?

I don’t do it! I’m overwhelmed by Twitter. I try to watch things privately and then generate my thoughts about those things in private. Twitter, for me, is a nice place to connect with other people in my line of work, or to hear from people who have read my stuff. But, beyond that, it sort of terrifies me. But, I mean, it’s really fun for a lot of people. Game of Thrones fans seems to LOVE IT. I have a friend who says she loves Game of Thrones Twitter more than Game of Thrones. That’s hilarious to me.
Favorite superhero movie this year? Do you think the “bubble” will ever burst on comic book movies, and if it does, how will that come about? What will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, assuming there is one? (I’ve watched bubbles break quite a bit, from the independent comic shops springing up like weeds in the 90’s, movie trading cards, to most recently the manga bubble of the early 2000’s.)

My favorite superhero movie this year was Thor: Ragnarok. I thought it was really accessible and really nerdy at the same time. But I also loved Logan. Talk about different! Will the bubble ever burst on these movies? Maybe not. I think it’s all about messing with the formula. I think the thing with the new Thor is it proved you could bring in these really artistic people like Taika Waititi and see what they do with superhero movies. Plus, as you mentioned, Wonder Woman was great, and felt different from a lot of superhero movies. If superhero movies can have a lot of variety, then I think the genre can survive. Ragnarok, Wonder Woman and Logan couldn’t be more different from each other, but they’re all great. So, that diversity of tone really helps I think in terms of longevity.

Let’s talk Doctor Who! Thoughts on Capaldi’s last season, Bill Potts, Jodie Whittaker and 3 new companions…something that hasn’t been seen since Hartnell/Tom Baker/Peter Davison? Do you think that the first female doctor needs 3 companions? Do you think Bill Potts got a fair shake?

I loved Peter Capaldi’s version of the Doctor. I think he’s my favorite actor to play the character so far. But, I’m not sure Capaldi got the best Doctor Who stories to work with. Had Capaldi been the Doctor during some of those great Matt Smith episodes, I think we would feel differently about his era. I mean, imagine Capaldi in “The Impossible Astronaut.” Imagine him being the Doctor after David Tennant? It sort of works, you know? All those River Song episodes, etc. Don’t get me wrong, Matt Smith is terrific, and was an excellent Doctor. But I would have loved to have seen Capaldi in some of those stories. He is the character.

I loved Pearl Mackie as Bill and would have loved to have seen more of her. I’m glad she got a happy ending, but I don’t think she got a fair shake. Maybe she’ll come back when Jodie Whittaker is the 13th Doctor? That would be awesome, right? And it’s possible, she’s out there, flying around the universe.

As far as the next season, I’m very excited. Having a new Doctor is always really cool and restorative, and I think Jodie Whittaker is a great choice. Does she need three companions? I don’t know about that. Did Peter Davison? Team Tardis has been a thing before and it could work again. But, I’m not sure. I like the Doctor as the primary character of the show. So, I hope Jodie Whittaker gets a few solo adventures. You know, like Capaldi’s “Heaven Sent” or something like that. The Doctor is so great, sometimes the character is best on their own.

What films are you looking forward to in 2018?

Wow, 2018 movies seem like an eternity from now. I know it might not be cool to say this, but I’m really fascinated to see what the Ready Player One adaptation ends up being like. The book is so odd and layered, and seemingly unfilmable. I’m utterly fascinated by the fact that it’s going to be a movie. It feels like trying to adapt Tron fan fiction. I know that makes it sound like I don’t like it. I do. I just think that whether or not Ready Player One is good or bad, it will be interesting. To me anyway. I love adaptations, and I love writing about them. But this movie is like an adaptation of a book, and like a hundred movies and TV shows and video games, too. It seems to contain multitudes, and yet, could be superficial popcorn blockbuster stuff, too. That’s really fascinating to me.

I’m also really interested in the Holmes and Watson comedy with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. I mean, John C. Reilly was the only thing that made Kong: Skull Island bearable. Plus, Ethan Coen is writing it? I mean, what’s not to like! Plus, it’s a Sherlock Holmes movie, so it’s basically like going to nerd church for me.

Thank you so much, Ryan, for your time and thoughtful (and thought provoking) response! Be sure to catch up with Ryan at https://www.inverse.com/ and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Check out a copy of Luke Skywalker Can’t Read, and look for his next book, coming soon!

Comic book writer Van Jensen (PinocchioVampireSlayer, Flash & GreenLantern) attended the 31st Dragon Con, with many fans clamoring for autographs and pictures. I got to sit down with him and talk about his upcoming new comics and his exciting new venture into filmmaking. Check out the interview below.

What are you nerding out about recently?

I just came back from Nebraska with my family where we watched the eclipse. We nerded out pretty heavily.

Did you get to be in the middle of the darkness?

Yeah. We drove out and got to be in the middle of totality.

How did you get started in comics?

I read comics as a kid and my mom’s an artist, so I started drawing my own comics. I wanted to be a comic artist, but I never really met anyone who was in comics. It didn’t seem realistic. It was almost like Santa Claus made it up somewhere. So I became a journalist and I worked at a newspaper with an artist, but I still had aspirations of doing creative writing. The artist had this idea of doing a story about Pinocchio killing vampires, and he asked me to write it. That was in 2008 and that became Pinocchio Vampire Slayer. We didn’t know what we were doing. We just said, let’s do a book together. It came out and did pretty well.

I actually sold a lot of the Pinocchio books when I worked at Georgia Tech’s bookstore.

Oh yeah. I used to work at Tech. I helped run their magazine for a while and guest lecture sometimes. I guess with that connection they would have the book there.

When you started to branch out in comics, when did you know that it was a viable thing?

I kind of had this really weird, early validation. I had a ten-page preview of Pinocchio and I had just moved to Atlanta and I didn’t know anything about comics except I was reading them. So I took these ten-page previews to HeroesCon in Charlotte. I passed them out to a few people and one of them ended up doing a panel with Darwyn Cooke and some other writers. And while they were doing the panel, he was reading it and laughing. The other panelists wanted to know what was happening and he showed them the comic. I had no clue this was happening. But all of these big name people were reading this book. All of a sudden I had Mark Waid tracking me down and telling me I needed to be doing this. I didn’t even have a book out. I only had a preview.

I’m always curious how much freedom you have, especially with characters you can use, on big titles like The Flash?

That’s kind of the challenge for any big superhero property, because these characters have been around for seventy and eighty years, so the job is to write something that’s never been done but also don’t change anything. I think there is a lot more freedom than you would expect there to be. I never had DC hand me a story and say, “this is the story go and execute it.” The most direction we got was with the Green Lantern series and they asked us to do something with the New Gods and the Green Lantern. I was like, sure, I’ll write a story. And that was Godhead.

With all of the recent comic adaptations into screen and television, have you been approached about any of your stories?

We just went through a five-year effort with Pinocchio Vampire Slayer, and I had no expectations but it would have been a terrible movie. Stuff definitely comes up a lot. I’ve actually directed a couple of short films and I’m pitching a television pilot now, but doing things in comics definitely opens a door for you.

How different is it going from comics to television?

With any type of writing there’s a storytelling skillset that applies, but the skills are very different. I’m working on a novel now, and prose is very different to write.

I used to run magazines and then I shifted to writing full time. I just discovered, and it’s really stupid to say, but I missed project management. I love overseeing a big production and managing every aspect of it. I like facilitating broad scale collaboration. I just thought, what kind of job could I do that’s creative that’s like that? After talking to some of my friends, I realized that I’m talking about directing. I just directed a short film last June and it’s doing the film festivals this year. It’s called Pisser, and it’s a comedy about a guy battling against a urinal. It was super intense, but a great experience. I’ve directed another short and I’m about to shoot a music video with a local hip-hop group. I also worked in a small capacity on Stranger Things.

What other comic projects do you have coming out?

I’ve got a book coming out called Fallen Suns. It’s a sci-fi series from Chapterhouse Comics. I’m doing graphic novel adaptations of the James Bond novels. CasinoRoyale will be out this winter. In about a year, I have a book coming out called Two Dead, from Simon and Schuster; it’s a true crime story.

Most recently you’ve probably seen her in Cristela and the Big Bang Theory, but Maria Canals-Barrera is best known for playing Selena Gomez’s mom, Theresa Russo, on the Disney channel hit Wizards of Waverly Place. Not only was Wizards the longest running Disney series at 106 episodes, it still holds the record for most watched finale, with 10 million viewers. Therefore it should be no surprise that we talked about bringing the show back when we met with Maria at Denver Comic Con where she was celebrating another reunion with her Justice League cast members. Here Talk Nerdy With Us asks Maria (who is even more stunning in person) about playing Hawkgirl, reuniting with her Wizards family, her two talented daughters and keeping showbiz in the family.

We’re here celebrating the reunion of Justice League. What has it meant to you to be part of the series as Hawkgirl?

First of all, to even be part of this kind of company: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman. It was like an honor that they even had Hawkgirl, because her profile wasn’t as popular as some of the others. Then to get the part, to be able to voice her, it was thrilling. You know, we did it so long ago and I had both my children during the four years that we were recording the Justice League. So I joke with my girls, I said, “You know, you guys were part of it too. You were there every taping, every recording.” It’s been a wonderful experience. I mean, I had no idea how many fans already existed and how many more we would get. And so many people really appreciate it. Like I said, the fact that Hawkgirl’s profile was raised with the Justice League and they have such affection for her. And I loved, loved being her.

Has there been any talk about having you join Justice League Action either as Hawkgirl or another character?

Not that I’ve heard of, but you know I haven’t really pursued it, I haven’t pushed for it or asked about it. But that would be a tremendous honor and a total blast.

How much fun has it been for you to get back together with castmates at this convention?

.It has been a total blast. We crack each other up. We have genuine love for each other. Our first night here we had dinner for, like, three hours. We were talking and laughing and sharing stories. It was wonderful, wonderful.

I know recently your Wizards of Waverly Place family got together for David Henrie’s wedding. What was it like to be together again and how long had it been?

Well to have every single person in the group together…I don’t…I think we…before David’s wedding I don’t remember all that—well yes, we went to dinner and I think Selena could not make it to that one, but before that we went to dinner and she was there. So, for David’s wedding, first of all, for such a wonderful event to happen was wonderful enough and then on top of that we all were there. So it was great to see everybody. It was so much fun. We couldn’t believe how much time had gone by. It had been…ten years since we started, right? And six or seven since we ended. It was just a wonderful, beautiful, meaningful event. David married a wonderful girl. The fact that we were all able to be there for him and to support him in his wedding meant so much to all of us. We had a great time. It’s like, all the good stuff just keeps happening, you know. The only thing that would be even more exciting, perhaps, is when everybody else gets married, has their kids, and if we’re blessed enough to have another reunion. That would be incredible.

After everybody saw the picture of all of you together at the wedding, Selena was asked in an interview if she’d like to do a Wizards of Waverly Place reunion and she said, “I hope so.” Is that something you would love to see happen and is there any way for fans to help make it happen?

Definitely. Well, if Selena’s on board, you know, she’s a very busy girl right now, so if she’s on board I think that’s a good sign. I would love for it to happen and I think fans definitely make the difference. I think we’re all willing and excited about it. I know our creator is excited about it. And, wow, that’s really great to hear. If the fans really, like, fight for it, then I think it’s a very big possibility. Now whether it’ll be a television or feature film…that would be all good. If it’s a feature film I would think that would be incredible, because I know Todd Greenwald, the creator of the show, wanted to make it very different if we do get together for a feature. And I think that would be—not completely different of course, but bring a lot of new things as adults to it that would make the fans who’ve grown with us, and with the show, very excited to see some deeper stuff go on. Just as funny. But a bit more, um….

Mature?

Yeah mature, but not mature in any kind of negative way, because we want our kids to see it too. I think it would be a lot more cinematic and I would love to do something like that too.

I know you have The Wedding Do Over coming up. What can you tell us aboutthat?

Well that’s a very sweet movie, again family friendly movie, and it’s going to be on Pixel, which is a network kind of like Hallmark in that it’s very family friendly and what I love about Pixel is there are no commercials. So I play a wonderful role and the lead actress is also from Disney Channel. Her name is Gail Anderson. I kept asking,“So, when is it coming out?” They said when we were shooting it’s going to take a while, because they do so many films, so it’ll probably be this year.

I know that you’re very active on Twitter and one of the things you is post videos of your beautiful daughter Bridget performing. Does she have a desire to break into Hollywood and how do you feel about that both as an actress and as her parent?

First of all, thank you for watching. And my little one, Madeleine, too is very talented. She’s a great actress. She’s a natural comedienne. But the little one does not want to dabble into any professional stuff. They do it for fun. School show choir and musicals.

My big one, you know, she played my daughter for the pilot of Cristela. And she said, when they got picked up to series, she said, this is Bridget I’m speaking about, she said, “Mom, I loved it and I had a great time, but I don’t want to miss middle school.” She said she wanted to go to middle school. The show, as you know, the part was recast and with a lovely girl who was wonderful, and Bridget went to middle school, got straight As every class, every semester. Kicked middle school butt. Then she says, in eighth grade, she says, “Okay, I’m ready to go back now. I miss being on set.” And I was like,“Okay. Alright.” And it’s great, because you have to follow their lead. It’s their lives and they have to do what they really want to do. As a parent you have to respect that. So we let her, of course, do what she wanted, which was middle school and she had a great time, she did wonderfully, she got the lead in two musicals. And now we just got with an agent, we called her manager, got her an agent, and she had her first audition.

She is going to go to high school still, but she’s also getting back into the business. How we’re going to juggle both, I have no idea, so we are going to play it by ear. My husband really wants her to experience school and be a real kid with real other kids, with other interests. He doesn’t even want them to go to, like, a performing arts school. Because then you’re just around other kids that have the same interests and he wants them to be exposed to all kinds of different kids with different passions. Because he said, “Well, what is she going to draw from as an actor?” Because he’s an actor too, David Barrera, my husband. And he’s like, “What is she going to draw from if she’s not around other kids with other experiences?” She has to have these friendships and these relationships with real kids that aren’t, quote unquote, kids who want to be in the business. And I thought that was interesting and that’s what she wants as well.

We’re going to do it because she wants to try it now and I think it’s good for her to experience. And if she wants to do it for a living then we will support and encourage her. If she doesn’t and wants to major in something else I will totally support and encourage her. And being such a great student like she is, that they both are, I mean I didn’t get straight As in every class, every semester of middle school. Middle school was hard. And she’s in all those top classes too. I’m kind of like, “You know, if you want to do something else….”

Because I think I wanted it a little bit more. Because I was in Cristela, I was in the show, and she was my daughter, I had so much fun with her doing the pilot, but it took me three days to really stop saying, “Are you suuuure?” And my husband was so funny. He said listen. I said, “But she’s so talented” and he said, “I agree with you, and if she wanted it I’d be right there with you, but right now at ten years of age, she doesn’t want it more than middle school.” And he said, “Leave her alone. She doesn’t have the gaping hole only applause can fill that you and I have.”

I thought that was brilliant. He was right. She didn’t. She wanted to do what was most fun at the time. Remember she hadn’t experienced the lockers, changing classes. It was all new to her, so I’m so glad that we let her live her life. It is her life. So we’ll see where that goes but I know that she’s very talented and a very hard worker.

And so is the little one. She cracks me up. She’s gonna do an improv theatre camp. Like to go do improv and have fun. And she’s so funny. She doesn’t even…I don’t know if she gets how funny she is, this is my little one. She’s also a fun singer, a great singer. So we’ll see. Are you a parent?

Yes.

Then you know…that balance of supporting them and letting them do what they want, but encouraging them in their gifts. And in the end you have to just support them in their dreams, and in their skills.

With a mom who’s so obviously proud and supportive of her daughters, we know they’ll succeed at anything they choose to do. And we can’t wait to see what that is!

Finally, WoWP fans make sure you make some noise and let the cast, Todd Greenwald, the Disney Channel and everyone else in the world know you want to see your favorite show have a magical reunion. You’ve got the power!

I’ve always had a great fondness for alliteration. The gratifying cadence of like sounding words on the tongue is equally matched by their resonant musicality on the ear. Not only does Greg Grunberg’s name give me that tickle of satisfaction, but so does the immediate word that comes to mind in describing him: gregarious.

Best known for his roles in Felicity, Alias, Heroes and anything JJ Abrams, Greg is exactly who you’d wish him to be. To meet him is to be embraced in a warm hug, both literally and figuratively. You sense an immediate impish charm and devilish humor behind his warm eyes and in the wink of his dimpled cheek.

But the greatest impression Greg gives is one of passion, passion for whiskey, acting, storytelling, kids, epilepsy awareness…life.

“George Clooney can do it, I can do it”

In speaking with him at Denver Comic Con, Talk Nerdy With Us learned he’s a man of many talents with no shortage of projects on the line. His newest venture is with the award-winning Cadée Distillery (Cadée is Gaelic for pure). With an eye on diversifying, a thirst for bourbon whiskey (which I heartily share!), and a group of friends he travels with to explore spirits of local artisans, Greg happened upon Deceptivus, his favorite of Cadée’s bourbons. Before long he invested in the company, which proudly uses 200-year-old recipes from proprietor Colin Campbell’s Scottish clan. With Greg as their spokesperson, Cadée plans to launch a new campaign, likely bringing on celebrity friends to help plug the aqua vitae.

“He’s so talented and awesome.”

Speaking of celebrity friends, Greg will reunite with his Alias co-star, Bradley Cooper, in next year’s highly anticipated remake of A Star Is Born. Not only does Bradley star as a failing country music star opposite Stefani Germanotta’s (Lady Gaga billed under her given name) rising singer, he also co-wrote, directed and produced this fourth iteration, previously made most famous in 1976 by Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Greg likens his role in the film to that of his appearance as Snap Wexley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, small, but present throughout. Long considered a lucky charm for his childhood friend, JJ Abrams, it only makes sense that Greg would bring the same good fortune to Bradley on his greatest undertaking yet. Not only was Greg happy to support his longtime friend, he can’t wait for the world to see his bud at his best.

“We’re going to do it right, this is something we want to take to the festivals.”

In truth, it’s quite easy to see friends play a vital role in Greg’s life and often draw him into projects. One such endeavor is the inspiring documentary Joyrider. Clare Kramer, his co-star in 2013’s B-movie remake of Big Ass Spider, brought him the story of André Kajlich (brother of Bianca Kajlich, Rules of Engagement). In 2003, after a drunken bender led him onto the tracks of an oncoming subway train in Prague, he lost both legs. The double amputee struggled to define his new life, but family and endurance competition gave him passion and direction. Now he’s just become the first solo hand-cyclist to complete the 3,000 mile Race Across America. Greg and long-time collaborator Brad Savage serve as producers, alongside executive producer Bianca, director Clare and DP Pablo Durano. Now the team is assembling footage and looking for a distribution partner for the fully-funded Kickstarter project, which they hope will become an award-winning documentary.

“That’s an opportunity to work with, I think, the greatest actor to ever live.”

Next up is HBO’s untitled Joe Paterno story about the Penn State sex abuse scandal. Greg was just cast to play Paterno’s son opposite Al Pacino and working with the legend is something that’s long been on his bucket list. Filming begins in August in New York and he can’t wait to get started.

“I’m not just another actor who’s put his name on a book. This is something I care very deeply about.”

If whiskey, movies and TV weren’t enough, Greg is also a middle grade author with his second graphic novel coming out this October (Dream Jumper Book 2: Curse of the Harvester, Scholastic Graphix). Inspired by his son Ben’s epic dream of being able to jump into his friends minds and save them from their worst nightmares, the series has been picked up by a studio hoping to bring it to film. Both he and illustrator Lucas Turnbloom have visited with their target audience at cons, book signings and even a Skype Classroom visit with 185,000 kids. Not only do they encourage the kids to share their dreams, they inspire them to trust in their own creativity and imagination.

“They are so brave, because they’re living with an earthquake in their head that can strike at any time.”

Another passion project was born from his eldest son, Jake, living with epilepsy. In May of 2016, Greg partnered with the Epilepsy Foundation and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals to launch the TalkAboutIt.org website and campaign to let the 3 million people who live with seizures know they are not alone. Its Greg’s greatest hope to raise awareness and erase the stigma often attached to this neurological disorder. Jake is now 21-years-old, working for Bad Robot and doing great, but the family has definitely had their ups and downs in dealing with the chronic illness. Greg especially wants to reach out to kids with the condition who may be bullied. Too often people are picked on because of ignorance and fear on behalf of their tormentor. Kids and their parents should speak up and educate those not in the know so they have a better understanding and will, hopefully, then stand beside them as an advocate and friend. With the help of Greg’s celebrity friends, TalkAboutIt.org offers video tools for support, empowerment and education.

“Yes, please! Put in a good word with the good Doctor.”

Finally, you know when you ask the co-host of Geeking Out (an AMC pop-culture talk show he does with Kevin Smith) what he nerds out about, you can expect a lengthy list. Greg readily agrees to a lot of interests, finding more every time he does a new project or attends a convention, but he says he’s slowing getting into anime and he loves Dr. Who. In fact, add that as another thing on his remarkable wish list he’d dearly like to do. For this good man, we’ll use the sonic screwdriver to see what we can do to get the word out.

To keep up with Greg and his many projects follow him on Twitter: @greggrunberg.